Get together and Audition dates and information

Open get together - Friday 10th March 2023 @ 7.30pm in the Hippodrome Foyer

Open Auditions - Saturday 25th March 2023 @ 1pm in the Hippodrome Foyer

TAODS prides itself on holding open auditions and regularly welcomes new members both on stage and behind the scenes. The open get together is an informal evening where you are invited to come and meet the director, find out about the play and have a read through. The bar is always open and all are welcome to attend. At the end of the evening there will be a form to complete should you be interested in auditioning for any of the parts.

The auditions for this play will be done on a workshop basis, where people will have the opportunity to audition for roles they have expressed an interest in. This will again be as friendly and informal as possible. It may be the case that you perform scenes a number of times with varying combinations of auditionees.

If you have any further questions please use the contact form found here

Character Breakdown

Below is a breakdown of the characters in Death by Design. They give a small insight into each character and suggested playing ages. These ages are not necessarily fixed however; decisions will be made on suitability and placement of the cast as a whole.

Bridget - The Maid, Irish (40/50s) - a warm hearted but also fearsome lady who enjoys reading about the latest gossip and crimes in her "Tittle-Tattle" magazine. Has a close, motherly relationship with Jack.

Jack - The Chauffer, cockney (early to mid 20s) - A charming lad with the gift of the gab and the attention of many young ladies. He is witty and clever young man who, having lost his mother at a young age, has a close bond with Bridget.

Edward Bennett - The Playwright (30/40s). Urbane, an English gentleman although also rather vain. The success of his earlier career is beginning to wain, yet the Bennett's have done well for themselves. His relationship with his wife Sorrel is a love-hate tumultuous one.

Sorrel Bennet - The Actress (30/40s) A glamourous yet slightly daffy and over the top lady. She, like her husband, is finding her spotlight fading and she does not take criticism well! She also revels in provoking her husband as much as he does her.

Walter Pearce - The Politician. (30/40s) A stiff, traditional Conservative. He is not a fan of expressionism or liberal ideals but he is a fan of Sorrel Bennet.

Eric - The Radical (early to mid 20s). An emphatic, passionate, fiery liberal. He believes that change is needed and the Edward Bennet could be the man he needs to help get his message across through the arts.

Victoria van Roth - The Bohemian (20-40). An intensely artistic spirit, elaborate and eccentric. She is not afraid to speak her mind and her mind is a very interesting place indeed! A friend of Sorrel Bennet but she may have other motives to be visiting them this weekend!

Alice - The Visitor (mid to late 20s). A young, sweet, shy girl Alice arrives unknown to the Bennet's but has her own reasons for appearing at their country house.

Death by Design

By Rob Urbinati

What happens when you mix the brilliant wit of Noël Coward with the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie?

Set during a weekend in an English country manor in 1932, Death by Design is a hilarious, delightful and mysterious mash-up of two of the greatest English writers of all time. Edward Bennett, a playwright, and his wife, Sorel Bennett, an actress, flee London and head to Cookham after a disastrous opening night. But various guests arrive unexpectedly – a conservative politician, a fiery socialist, a nearsighted ingénue, a zany modern dancer – each with a long-held secret. When one of the guests is murdered, it’s left to Bridgit, the feisty Irish maid with a macabre interest in homicide, to solve the crime. Death by Design is more than homage – it’s a new classic.

TAODS is proud to present this farcical murder mystery caper this summer. Award winning director Martin Cook will be at the helm of this mish-mash of characters as each and everyone of them has their own motives for disposing of the victim!

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